Charles larue



No. 607,443. Patented Iuly I9, I898. C. LARUE. DRIVING GEAR FOR VELOGIPEDES, AUTUCARS, OR OTHER VEHICLES.

(AppIicatiou filed Aug. 3, 1897.) (No Model.)

Fig.- 6.

we NORRIS PErER ca. PHOTO-LITHOfl WASHINGTON, u, c,

NITED TATES ATENT union.

CHARLES LARUE, OF BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

DRIVING-GEAR FOR VELOCIPEDES, AUTOCARS, OR OTHER VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 607,443, dated July 19, 1898.

Application filed August 3, 1897. Serial No. 646,925. (No model.) Patented in Belgium May 31, 1897,1I0. 128,585; in England July 16,1897, lie-16,865; in France July21,1897.No. 268,955; in Italy September 30, 1897, No. 33/ 15,667; in Austria October 14,1897,No. 24,659, and in Hungary January 25, 1898, No. 10,690.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES LARUE, a citizen of France, residing at Brussels, Belgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvemen ts inDriving-Gear for Velocipedes, Autocars, or other Vehicles, (for which Letters Patent have been obtained in the following countries: Belgium, No. 128,585, dated May 31, 1897, and certificate of addition thereto, No. 129,366, dated July 8, 1897; France, No. 268,955, dated July 21, 1897; Great Britain, No. 16,865, dated July 16, 1897; Austria, No. 24,659, dated October 14, 1897; Hungary, No. 10,690, dated January25, 1898, and Italy, No. 33/ 15,667, dated September 30, 1897;) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of the present invention is the production of an improved arrangement of intermediate or transmission gear between the mechanical transmission means and the elements of propulsion, with a View, first, to give to the vehicle when these means are in motion a greater speed to that which it would acquire by the normal working of the said means if the improved arrangement were not applied to it, and, second, the mechanical In the accompanying drawings, which representthe various parts of my invention, Figures 1, 2, and 3 are perspective views, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section, illustrating the various elements of a drum made of metal or other suitable material intended to inclose the mechanical parts of the new arrangement. Fig. 5 shows these parts fitted together. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section of the drum seen in perspective and shows a ring of teeth on the interior of the said drum. Fig. 7 is a vertical section showing how the drum is mounted on the hub of the bicycle-wheel. Fig. 8 is a vertical section showing themechanical parts between the hub and the drum. Fig. 9 is a transverse section corresponding to Fig. 8.

In all the figures the same reference-numbers indicate the same parts.

1 is the fixed axle of the back wheel of a bicycle, on which the hub 2 of this wheel rotates by the interposition of balls 3, as in the ordinaryconstruction. On this hub is mounted the small toothed pinion, which through the chain is in connection with the large pinion on the crank-axle. Contrary to what has hitherto existed in bicycles, the telly of the wheel is not directly connected to this hub. There exists between the said'wheel and this hub an intermediary, which constitutes the object of myinvention and has for its object to solve the problem stated at the commence- I ment of this description. This intermediary comprises a small toothed wheel 4, held between the two checks 5 of a fork fixed to or cast with the hub 2, and between which it can turn freely whether mounted on an ordinary axle or on balls. A pawl 6, mounted on the hub, is held in contact with the toothed pinion 4 by the pressure of the spring 7. As will be understood, the pawl 6 prevents the toothed pinion 4 from rotating from right to left. The pinion 4 gears with the teeth 8, cast or fixed on the inside of a drum 9. This drum has two ends, shown as separate pieces in Figs. 1, 3, and 4 and mounted on the drum 9, properly called. (Shown in Figs. 5 to 9, inclusive.) One orboth of these ends carries a ring-1O 011 the cheeks 11, which latter are perforated around their exterior circumference to receive the spokes of the bicycle-wheel, as in the ordinary hub. 12 represents an externally-screwthreaded ring to engage with the internallyscrew-threaded part 13 of the drum 9. Around the axis the cheeks 11 are pierced to perm it the passage of the hub 2. The drum will revolve on the hub by the intermediary of a series of balls lat. The balls 14, like the balls 3, run between cones and cups. I have not thought it necessary to show completely the wellknown arrangement of these bearin gs, as they do not constitute an essential element of my invention.

After having described the different parts of my invention I will 110w describe the operation of this apparatus and how it fulfils the conditions mentioned above. The bicyclist in driving the cranks drives the small toothed pinion, and with it the h ub 2. This in its turn drives the drum 9 by the intermediary of the small toothed pinion l, which in so doing acts as a pawl, engaging in the teeth of the ring 8. The drum 9 drives the felly, with which it is connected by the spokes which unite these two parts. By my arrangement the first desideratum is solved, because the greater angular speed of the folly at a given moment is not reduced by the lesser speed of the hub, because these elem cuts are not united rigidly. The drum passes freely around the hub, causing the small toothed pinion at to turn from left to right, which pinion is not relatively at rest except at the moment when the cyclist drives the cranks. The second desideratnm is fulfilled in the same way, as during the time of rest of the cranks the back wheel and drum 9 can revolve, which causes the small pinion 4 to turn in a stationary position from left to right.

As in my invention the stoppage of the machine cannot be effected by the pedals, the bicycle should be fitted with a brake, such as those ordinarilyemployed, or which might be arranged to act alone or supplementarily on the ring 10, the surface of which may be smooth, rough, or notched, if necessary, according to whether the brake should act by pressure, friction, or wedging.

I claim- In combination, a non-revoluble axle, a driving-sleeve revoluble thereon, a Wheel-hub composed of the internally-toothed sleeve 9, and the flanged heads 10 and 11, the pinion 4; journaled in hearings on the driving-sleeve and gearing with the internal teeth of the wheel-hub, the spring-controlled pawl G pivoted to the said sleeve and held in engagement with the pinion, and ball-bearings interposed between the non-revoluble axle and the driving-sleeve an d between the latter and the wheel-hub, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES LARUE.

\Vitn esses:

O. Roznn, GREGORY PHELAN. 

